Toy cannon



J. G. GAVLAK TOY CANNON Filed March 10 19.30

Dec. 1, 1931.

Patented 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF lCE aosnrn a. 'eavmx, ormononenrmnn crrv, rmmsnvnm 'rov cannon .Applicatlon filed larch 10,1930. Serial 1%. 4345601 5 discharged with great rapidity, which may be.

operated by traction or by the manipulation of a crank and which isfascinating and entertaining to children.

' Further objects of the invention are to provide a 'device of the classstated which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong,durable and eflicient in its use, attractive in appearance, andcomparatively inexs pensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing andoth'er objects in view which will appear a as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention hereinafter disclosed can be made within thescope of-what is claimed without departing from the irit of theinvention. 7

Inthe rawings, wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views 1 Figure 1 is a sideelevational view, partly in cross section, of a toy cannon, constructedso in accordance with the invention. 7 1 v Figure 2 is a rear end viewthereof, partly in cross. section.

Figure 3 is "a top member,

Figure 4 is a side view of the feed member,

partly in cross section,\illustrating its relaplan view of the feedertive position with respect to associated parts.-

Referring in detail to the drawings'l de notes a barrel having its topdepressedv to provide a receptacle 2 for storing the 1111581165 3. Thelatter are preferably ordinary marbles, but it is obvious that any othersuitable type of missiles may be employed. The receptacle 2 is providedwith a dished bottom 4 converging toward an open neck 5, whichcommunicates with'the bore 6, of the barrel 1. The conformationpf thereceptacle botv gravity. 7

The barrel 1 is'fixedly secured, in any suitable manner, to the top of ahollow supporting casing 7, and an elongated flanged slot 8 establishescommunication between the barrel bore 6 and the supporting casing 7.

The barrel 1 is preferably constructed from a pair' of similar halfsections joined together, as at 1.- The supporting casing 7 is likewiseconstructed from a pair of smnlar half sections joined together, as at7.

' This arrangement permits the convenient as-' sembly of these parts,with associated parts embodied therein.

i A shaft 9 extends horizontally through the supporting casing 7 andcarries the latter togather with the barrel 1 mounted'thereon. The shaft9 is revolubly mounted in the supporting casing 7 and carries a springhub 10, which is fixedly keyed to the shaft 9, to ro ,tate therewith,and disposed within the sup '1 porting casing 7.

A pair of wheels 11 is revolubly connected adjacent to respective endsof the shaft 9; The wheels 11 are suitably spaced'from the supportingcasing 7 by a pair of flan ed spacing sleeves 12, which are mounte onthe shaft!) and disposed between the supporting casing '7 and respectivewheels 11.

A plurality of similar flat springs 13 are fixedly mounted in the springhub 10, and normally extends radially with respect to the axial centerof the latter. The'hub 10 is preferably constructed in two parts, whichare secured together by a plurality of screws 14 for securely clampingthe springs 13 in po. sition therebetween. j Each of the springs-13 isdisposed at right angles relatively to the adjacent springs. I In theembodiment of the invention herein disclosed four radially projectingsprings 13 are employed, but it will be evident that the number of suchsprings 13-may be varied without departing from the spirit of theinvention; As shown in Fi V springs 13 are preferably constructed fromonly two lengths of spring material.

A substantially L-shaped feeder member 15 having its rear end pivotallyconnected, as at 16, to the barrel 1, is disposedin the'bore 6 of thelatter directly beneath the open neck 5. The feeder member 15comprisesai arm 17 and a depending actuating leg 18. The feeder arm 17is provided with an opening19 for the passage of the missiles 3therethrough.

The movement of the feeder member 15, on its pivotal connection 16, islimited to the engagement of the arm 17' thereof with the lower end ofthe bottom neck 5 and with the bottom of the barrel bore 6.

The purpose of the feeder member 15 is to deliver the missiles 3 singlyfrom the receptacle 2 to barrel bore 6. The feeder member 15 is normallydisposed at an angle in the holding position, with the free, forward,upturned end thereof resting upon the bottom of the barrel bore 6directly across the barrel slot 8. The feeder member 15 assumes itsangular holding position, as shown in Figure 4 and in dash lines inFigure 1, by gravity.

When the feeder member 15 is disposed in the releasing position againstthe under side of the bottom neck 5, the arm 17 thereof extendshorizontally, as clearly shown in Figure 1. It will here be noted, thatwhen the feeder member 15 is in the releasing position disposing the arm17 thereof horizontally against the under side of the bottom neck 5, thearm opening 19 is not in registration with the opening in the neck'5,but is disposed forwardly thereof, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, andwhile so positioned none of the missiles 3 in the receptacle 2 can passthrough the arm opening 19 into the barrel bore 6.

While the feeder member 15 is shifting to its holding position, oneofthe missiles 3 is permitted to drop into the barrel bore 6. However,such dropped missile 3 will be engaged in the arm opening 19, as shownin dash lines in Figure 1, and consequently cannot roll from itsposition upon the bottom of the barrel bore 6.

The relative sizes of the bottom neck 5 and of the missiles 3 is suchthat'but one at a time of the latter can pass through and from theformer. Further, the distance between the lower end of the neck 5 andthe bottom of the barrel bore 6, is such that when one of the missiles 3is positioned upon the bottom of the barrel bore 6 and engaged by thefeedermember 15, in the manner stated, the following missile 3 will bedisposed in the neck 5 and rest upon the said engaged missile 3, asclearly illustrated in Figure l. I

The device is operated by the rotation of the shaft 9, which carries thesprings 13 through its connection with the hub 10. The

feeder member 15 is operated, to release the engaged missile 3, by thesprings 13, as the actuating leg 18, of the feeder member 15, isdisposed in the path of travel of the outer ends of the springs 13. Thelatter are permitted to extend into the barrel bore 6 through theflanged slot 8, which is sufficient- 1y narrow to prevent the missiles 3from passing therethrough.

As stated, the feeder member 15 is normally disposed by gravity in theangular holding position, with the forward end thereof resting upon thebarrel bore bottom and with a missile 3 engaged in the arm opening 19.Upon rotation of the shaft 9, in the forward or clockwise direction, theouter end 7 of the nearest spring 13 will engage the ac tuating leg 18,of the feeder member 15, as at 20, and shift the latter to the releasingposition. Such movement of the feeder member 15 releases the missile 3within the barrel bore 6 and prevents the entrance into the latterof't'he following missile, which is then within the neck 5.

As the outer end of the spring 13 is still engaging the actuating leg18, further forward movement of the'acting spring 13 will tension saidspring, as at 21, by curving the latter rearwardly until it clears thelower end of the actuating leg 18; When the ten sioned spring 13 clearsthe actuating leg 18 it will snap forwardly to its normal radialposition, striking the released missile and thereby hurling the latterforwardly through and out of the barrel 1. As soon as the releasedmissile has been driven from the barrel 1, in the manner stated, thefeeder member 15 will again drop by gravity to the holding position andthereby deposit the following missile into barrel bore 6 to be ejectedfrom the latter by the identical action of the following sprin 13.

It will be noted that each time one of the springs 13 engages andoperates the feeder member 15, a missile 3 is hurled from the barrel 1and another missile is deposited in the latter. The speed of the shaft 9determines the rapidity with which missiles are expelled from thebarrel, and the operation may be continuous-until all of the missiles 3in the receptacle 2 have been removed from the latter, thereby providingan action some what imitable of a machine gun.

One end of the shaft 9 carries a fixed crank arm 22 provided with apivotally connected handle 23. The crank arm 22 and associated handle 23are provided for rotating the shaft 9 for operating the device, in themanner stated.

The casing 7 is formed with a reduced rearwardly projecting portion 24,which connects with a fixed handle 25. The latter is provided forpushing the device along on its wheels 11. A clip 26, carried by thewheel 11 adjacent to the crank arm 22, is adapted for engaging the crankhandle 25 when the latter is shifted to extend in longitudinal alignmentwith crank arm 22. Such engagement of the crank handle 23 in the clip26, secures the shaft 9 to rotate with said wheel, whereby the tractionof the latter will rotatethe shaft 9 and operate the device, while thesame is'being pushed forwardly by the handle 25. When the crank handle25 is released from the clip 26, the vwheel 11 turns on the shaft 9 andwill not operate the missile ejecting mechanism.

The present invention provides a novel and efiicient toy which may beeconomically constructed, and which affords great entertainment forchildren.

- What I claimis:

1. In combination, a toy cannon of the character described, comprising abarrel ineluding a bore and provided with a receptacle for storingmissiles, a supporting memher for said barrel, a shaft revolubly mountedin said supporting member, a pair of wheels revolubly connected torespective ends of said shaft, a feeder element mounted in said barreland operable by gravity for feeding a missile from said receptacle tosaid barrel bore, means connecting with one end of said. shaft forrotating the latter in said supporting member and in said wheels, aplurality of springs carried by saidshaft and rotating with the latter,each of said springs carried by said shaft and rotating with the latter,each of said springs engaging with said feeder element to tension theformerto forcibly eject a missile from said barrel bore.

2. In combination, a toy cannon of the character described, comprising abarrel including a bore and provided with a receptacle for storingmissiles, a supporting memher for said barrel, a shaft revolubly mountedin said supporting member, a pair of wheels revolubly connected torespective ends I of said shaft, a feeder element mounted in said barreland operable by gravity for feeding a missile from said receptacle tosaid barrel-bore, means connecting with one end of said shaft forrotating'the latter in said supporting member and in said wheels, aplurality of springs carried'by said shaftand rotating with the latter,each of said springs carried by said shaft and rotating with the latter,each of said springs engaging with said feeder element to tension theformer to forcibly eject a missile from said barrel bore, said springsbeing disposed radially with respectto the axial center of said shaftand having a detachable connection with the latter.

3. In combination, a toy cannon ofthe" character described comprising abarrel including a bore and provided with a receptacle for storingmissiles, a supporting member for said barrel, a feeder elementpivotally con-' nected in said barrel and operable by gravityfor-feeding said missilessingly from said receptacle to said barrel boreand normall maintaining said missile in the latter, a sha revolublymounted in said supporting member, a pair of wheels revolubly mounted'onrespectlve ends of said shaft,.a plurality of radially disposed springscarried by said shaft, the rotation of said shaft shifting said springsto engage said feeding element for releasing the missile in said barrelbore and further for tensioning said springs for forcibly ejecting saidmissiles from said barrel bore, and a crank member fixed to one end ofsaid shaft for rotating the latter in said supporting member and in saidpair of wheels.

v4. In combination, a toy cannon of the character described comprising abarrel including a bore and provided with a receptacle for storingmissiles, a supporting member for said barrel, a feeder elementpivotally connected in said barrel and operable by gravity for feedingsaid missiles singly from said receptacle to said barrel bore andnormally maintaining said missile in the latter,

a shaft revolubly mounted in said supporting member, a pair of wheelsrevolubly mounted on respective ends of said shaft, a plurality ofradially disposed springs carried by said shaft, the rotation of saidshaft shifting said springs to engage said feeding element for releasingthe missile in said barrel JOSEPH G. GA AK.

